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Putnam Daily Voice accepts signed and original letters to the editor up to 350 words. To send a letter, e-mail putnam@dailyvoice.com.

Do you want to clean up Albany? See lower municipal and county taxes?

Now's our chance!

Vote Yes this November 7th on the referendum for a Constitutional Convention for New York State.

You'll see the referendum listed along with two others on the reserve side of your ballot.

The proposed Constitutional Convention is a once in a generation chance to enact long overdue ethics and home rule reforms. It will rectify state gerrymandering, our byzantine court system and out-of-date voter registration laws.

During her 2018 budget presentation, Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell noted Albany's unfunded mandates gobble up 70 percent of the county's expenses and all of its property tax levy. This burden has helped stifle economic growth and prosperity here for too long.

Limiting or ending unfunded state mandates is reason enough to vote yes on the Constitutional Convention referendum in our view.

-WNYC's “The Brian Lehrer Show Should New York Hold a Convention to Amend the State Constitution?” debate with Gerald Benjamin, associate vice president for regional engagement and director of the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO) at SUNY New Paltz. Or click
here
.